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Lakers Beat Nets With Kobe And Shaq AttackO'Neal Returns For OT WinEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., 10:27 a.m. PST February 14, 2001 -- Kobe Bryant and Stephon Marbury had another head-to-head duel, and Bryant's three-point play with 4.8 seconds left in overtime outdid Marbury's career-high 50 points as the Lakers beat the Nets 113-110 Tuesday night. Bryant's game-winning play capped a 38-point performance and was the final highlight of a game that featured a 32-point, 14-rebound effort by Shaquille O'Neal in his return from a foot injury after a six-game absence. The victory was the fourth straight for the Lakers, who are starting a six-game road trip, and snapped the Nets' season-high three-game winning streak. Like the All Star game on Sunday, the final minutes were a showdown between Bryant and Marbury, only this time Bryant had the final say.
Marbury, who hit 17 of 29 shots and tied his season high with 12 assists, had a chance to tie the game, but his 33-foot shot from straight on bounced off the front of the rim. Trailing 110-107 with 1:21 to play in overtime, the Lakers found an unconventional way to tie the game. After O'Neal hit one of two free throws, he blocked a drive by Marbury. Tyronn Lue, who had not scored all night, then drove from midcourt and hit a high-arcing layup over Keith Van Horn to tie the game with 36.8 seconds to play. Lucious Harris missed a 3-pointer with about 20 seconds to play, setting up the Bryant's final shot. Starting on the right wing, he dribbled toward the foul line, did a reverse spin and then drove the lane, powering his shot over rookie Kenyon Martin. He added the free throw for the final margin. The Lakers seemed to have the gmae in hand after Bryant banked in a short shot with 4:14 in regulation for a 100-88 lead. But Marbury had other ideas. He hit two free throws and converted a three-point play and fed a wide-open Van Horn for a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 100-96 with 2:00 to play. Bryant appeared to put two daggers in the Nets' comeback hopes, sandwiching a rebound follow and a reverse layup around two free throws by Marbury, giving Los Angeles a 104-98 lead with 64 seconds to go. After an offensive rebound, Marbury hit a high-arcing 3-pointer to narrow the lead to three points with 50.5 seconds to go, then tied the game with another 3-sky-high 3-pointer with 27 seconds left after a turnover by Lue near midcourt. Bryant had a chance to put the Lakers ahead in the closing seconds, but he misfired on a jumper from the top of the key. The Lakers led 74-71 after a wild third quarter that featured spurts of 9-4 and 17-2 by Los Angeles and 20-4 and 8-0 by New Jersey.
Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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